1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to network file systems, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for utilizing (e.g., updating and auditing) a file change log.
2. Description of the Related Art
Modern computer networks generally comprise a plurality of client computers connected to one another and to a computer server via a communication network. These client computers typically access the computer server for numerous reasons, such as accessing common files, databases, or directories. For reasons related to performance and security, a file change log (FCL) may be utilized to monitor and track client computer access to the computer server. The FCL typically stores the information that identifies files within a namespace that has recently been accessed (i.e., read from and/or written to). In some devices, the FCL itself may identify files that have been recently modified. Applications that utilize the FCL are normally software programs that are developed to scan the file system for changes, such as an indexing service, web search engines, or various backup applications. Namely, these applications can determine whether a file has been changed by accessing the FCL, thus abating the need to continuously scan the entire file system. Although the FCL identifies files that have been modified, the FCL in the device cannot presently identify the nature of the modification and/or pre- and post-modification values of the file.
Furthermore, even though the FCL has the capability to report the types of changes made to files, it does not have the ability to determine the identity of users or processes that access the files. In addition, the FCL is not capable of ascertaining the frequency with which a particular portion of a specific file has been accessed or modified. Either of these features would provide a valuable security measure for a network computer environment. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved method for utilizing the FCL in a manner that improves the security measures and performance of an existing file system.